A self-proclaimed “monster” who forced a 12-year-old boy to beat up his friends to try and rob them has been locked up for three years.

Kayne Riley, 27, of Clissold Road, Stoke Newington, targeted four lads playing together in nearby Clissold Park, in February.

The coward told the group he had “beaten up 10-year-olds in the past” and ordered the 12-year-old boy to hit his friend “hard”.

The boy, fearful that he would be beaten up, handed his mobile phone over. He was made to phone the other boys to prove they did not have any phones on them and then repeatedly ordered to slap his friends.

Riley cruelly mocked him saying: “That’s not hard enough, that’s a b***h slap, hit him again.”

When another group came over to check if the boys were OK he snarled: “If you don’t tell them to go away I’ll punch you all and put you in the hospital.”

The police were called and Riley was traced to a local hostel where the stolen phone was found.

Sandee Darvies, defending, told Snaresbrook Crown Court: “Riley says he feels like a monster and says he can’t believe he went to such an extreme length and targeted children.”

She said Riley had mental health problems and took medication which had not been effective at the time of the offence, so he turned to drink, which made him become “far more self-destructive”.

Judge Martin Zeidman QC said the robbery was aggravated by Riley’s decision to make the children hit each other. He said: “This was a robbery with aggravating features, features that make it particularly serious.

“There was a strange, cruel aspect to this case. It was a sort of cruel ritual that you carried out.”

Riley admitted robbery and was sentenced to serve three years on Wednesday last week and to pay a victims of crime surcharge of £120.

Three other counts of attempted robbery laid against Riley were left on file.

Det Con Ruth Underwood, of Hackney police, said: “This was a particularly nasty street robbery.

“Riley used threats and intimidation to force a young boy to use violence against his own friends.

“I would like to thank the young victims, witnesses and their families for their assistance in this investigation and their bravery in coming forward.”